Disposable absorbent articles are designed to contain body exudates and to keep such body exudates from soiling adjacent clothing and undergarments. Thus, numerous improvements have been directed towards providing better containment of such body exudates within the absorbent article and reducing the occurrence of soiling of garments worn over the absorbent article. Side soiling of garments is particularly a problem with catamenial pads. Side soiling is enhanced by a lack of body fit between the pad and the wearer. It is thus desirable that such absorbent articles conform as closely as possible to the body of the wearer. Such a body-conforming capability is believed to increase the effectiveness of the catamenial pad by reducing the possibility that menses will travel around the perimeter of the catamenial pads and leak, particularly at the sides.
There have been a number of recent efforts to provide catamenial pads with improved body-conforming characteristics in order to improve the leakage performance of these products. In particular, sanitary napkins have been developed which are relatively thin and flexible to better conform the sanitary napkin to the wearer. Commercially successful sanitary napkins of this type are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,264, issued to Osborn, III, on Aug. 21, 1990 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,653 issued to Osborn III, on Apr. 23, 1991. While these ultrathin and flexible absorbent articles work quite well, there remains a need to improve the side soiling performance of these products and to further improve their fit characteristics.
Therefore, there is a need for an absorbent article with improved side soiling containment performance and body fit.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide unitary disposable absorbent articles such as catamenial pads or incontinent pads with improved side soiling containment performance.
It is an additional object of the present invention to improve the fit of such absorbent articles during use such that their surface conforms better to the corresponding shape of the human body.
It is a further additional object of the present invention to provide catamenial pads that more readily intercept menses when discharged.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a reduction of lateral and longitudinal overflow, causing reduced soiling of garments.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.